Palo Alto Trust Administration & Probate Lawyer

Upon death, the assets in your estate must be distributed to the beneficiaries. The form which this distribution takes depends upon the existence or non-existence of a trust.

Since 1983, Gilfix & La Poll has specialized in estate planning services for discerning clients like you. Key among the services we provide in re Trust Administration and Probate, each of which provide a means of distributing your estate to your intended beneficiaries. Each has its own distinct considerations.

Palo Alto Trust Administration Lawyers

Upon your passing, the assets in your estate – without probate - are required to be distributed to your beneficiaries. We heartily encourage our clients to create Living Trusts to hold their assets while alive so that they may be distributed to their beneficiaries in a timely and frictionless manner after they’ve died. In this scenario, a successor trustee distributes your collected assets in accordance to the terms set forth in the trust agreement. These terms are revealed only to the trustee and the beneficiaries so that your privacy is preserved, and discretion is maintained throughout the process. A Living Trust through an alternate trustee can also help manage your affairs during your life times when you don’t wish to or are unable to manage for yourself.

When a trust is properly in place, the Trust Administration will ensure that all outstanding debts are paid by the trustee. Your remaining assets will be dispensed in the manner specified in the Trust. Assets may include stocks and other investments, deeds and real estate as well as personal effects. Moreover, a Trust may specify that certain assets be held for minor children until they are of a predetermined age, thus protecting their interests and providing you additional peace of mind.

Probate Attorneys in Palo Alto

If your estate is of such size that it is exposed to estate tax, steps can be taken even after your passing to redue that exposure. If you die without a Trust to hold your assets, those assets must be distributed to the beneficiaries through a process known as “Probate,” which, in plain terms, is a court process for transferring property from a deceased person to living persons. Typically, probate involves petitioning the court for permission to exercise control over your assets and ultimately distributing those assets to your beneficiaries. This proceeds in a public forum, whether or not you have have created a Will and usually takes longer than a Trust Administration.

As experts and innovators in estate planning, Gilfix & La Poll can conduct your Trust Administration or Probate with alacrity, prudence and absolute respect for your wishes. Throughout our 30 years of experience, we’ve prided ourselves on providing our clients and their families with service deserving of their trust.

Related Articles

"When my husband died, I thought everything would be a mess and that I could not possibly manage it. He always took care of the paperwork. My attorney at Gilfix & La Poll Associates LLP explained all the steps that have to be taken, saw to it that all steps were taken, and literally held my hand through the process. I could not be more pleased."
- J.T.

"Thank you for the help in setting up the trust for our family. After my husband's death, I saw how tremendously valuable it was. And the explanations were great - I now understand why the trust will save our family a fortune in tax!"
- M.M.G.

"We greatly appreciated the informative letter you sent about the trust documents that were prepared for us. I continually refer to the information you sent us in writing - every time I have a question, the answer seems to be there. Many thanks again for covering everything so completely."
- L. and F.S.

The hiring of a lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely upon advertisements. This web site and all business law related content is offered for informational purposes only and is not intended to serve as legal advice. Consult an attorney to receive advice about your specific legal needs. The attorneys at Gilfix & La Poll Associates LLP can help your family with special needs planning, special education advocacy, elder law, estate planning, Medicaid and Medi-Cal planning, and estate administration.

Gilfix & La Poll

5 Stars - Based on 56 User Reviews

Had a fantastic experience with Mark Gilfix. He is knowledgable, experienced and a great communicator--was able to break down a thorny problem for me and my wife and provided us with a clear course of action. We'd absolutely recommend him to anyone needing help with estate planning!

Tim K.

1/11/2018

Our family has been using the firm of Gilfix and La Poll since 2013 when we decided we were not satisfied with our previous trust attorney. It is probably the best financial/legal decision we have ever made. Michael reworked our trusts giving us much better planning and Francis created a complex, yet financially beneficial real estate plan. Not only are they exceedingly skilled at what they do, they are a warm and welcoming law firm that truly cares about their clients. Recently we had to make some changes to our trust and Nick Klingenberg was our attorney of record. Add another outstanding lawyer to this firm! He has been simply fantastic in every area from communication to legal expertise. If you are thinking of making a trust or want to improve the one you have - look no further than Gilfix and La Poll. You will be very happy that you chose them.

Edward S.

1/11/2019

Nicholas Klingenberg, attorney at Gilfix, Lapoll and Associates was terrific to work with. He was thorough, patient to answer our many questions and a super wonderful person to work with. I would recommend him to everyone needing to develop a Trust and related documents feeling well protected and well served.

Karen W.

5/17/2018

Great attorneys, very thorough and very kind. They opened their home to my family and I when we came to establish our family trust.

rick l.

3/26/2018

My husband and I highly recommend Gilfix & LaPoll Associates for all your estate planning needs. We were very pleased to work with Mike Gilfix, who helped us with our living trust, wills, and health care directives. He was very personable, professional, and knowledgeable, and he walked us through the whole process, taking quite a lot of time to review and explain different options. At no time did we feel rushed or pressured. After getting married, having two kids, and buying/selling two homes in the SF Bay Area, my husband and I finally turned our attention to getting our legal and financial affairs in order this past summer… and preparing for our children's future - especially to provide the structure to our wishes for our children's care and well-being in the event something should happen to us. Mike helped us do just that and more by asking us questions that encouraged us to not limit our creativity in the planning process. And, we had a good many hearty laughs along the way as we talked openly about some of the stickier issues of life. It was a great experience and we are so glad/relieved to have completed the initial planning phase for what we hope will be an enduring family legacy.Beyond Mike, we were also impressed by the friendly, capable lawyers, and support staff at Gilfix & LaPoll Associates. The presentation/trust creation appointment and the signing off experience were smooth and easy. The office was professional & efficient, but not “stuffy.” They made a challenging endeavor so much easier to complete than we ever imagined. In fact, we would have done this sooner if I had known how helpful the people in this office would be!